‘A Game’ performance mindset is the state of mind you have when you perform at your best.

Terms that you may have heard referring to this mindset include ‘bubble’, ‘zone’, ídeal performance state’, or even ‘flow’.

It’s a set of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that promote you to consistently compete at your highest level in any given circumstance.

It’s often the mindset that you’ve experienced when you feel like your mind is ‘on your side’ and contributing positively to a solid performance.

Why use it to perform?

We use it to perform to be consistent.

The perspective we are taking is that if you can consistently understand the way you think, feel, and behave then it gives you a greater chance of creating that state of mind, repetitively and reliably.

There can be a lot of variables to consider in sports performance. Given that, through understanding your ‘A Game’ performance mindset you’re taking charge of one of the things you can control. A common piece of advice in sport is ‘control the controllables’. In this case, we’re encouraging you to learn to control the way you think and behave to influence the way you feel.

Consistently being able to create your ‘A Game’ performance mindset will provide greater opportunities for you to transfer your training to competition.

How does it work?

It works like any other skill. You need to work out what is and what is not working in terms of your competitive mental approach. Appreciate the stuff that has been working. Use this as your starting point.

Recognise the times when you may have achieved this state of mind before. Reflect on existing skills and existing strategies that you’ve used to create it. Start to appreciate the very things that contributed to that ‘best’ performance.

Taking a Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic (CBT) approach to the way that we prepare our mindset we are working with thoughts and behaviours to stimulate feelings. To repeat the feelings associated with your better performances you’re encouraged to understand the thoughts and behaviours that were present and helped you to feel that way.

You use it to perform in training and competition whereby your pre-performance routines will be geared towards getting yourself into the state of mind that helps you perform.

There will be situations that arise during competition that may detract from your mindset but use it as your ‘compass’.

Your ‘A Game’ performance mindset is your goal competitive mental approach. You’re alway trying to achieve it. Some days it will be easier than others however it’s always something that you’re in-charge of and can influence, regardless of circumstances.

Just ask us if you’d like to access mind activities and tools on how to create your ‘A Game’ performance mindset.

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Mental Notes Consulting
Our blog provides people with insights into the type of work we do as well as our personal and professional interests. We are a team of psychologists that vary in global location, expertise, and interests which means there is loads of variety in the information on our blog relevant to different age ranges, cultures, and levels of performance. The topics we share typically stem from the latest research and applied practice, as well as books we've read, places we've been, and people we've met.